Growing, Adjusting, and Not Sleeping

Well, we’ve survived the first few weeks on Mason’s new bladder medicine.  This is what he looked like for about a week after starting Ditropan.  He was miserable.  The worst part was that the changes to how his mouth feels (dry mouth) made him refuse to drink most of the time.  That lovely oral aversion he struggled with after each shunt revision came back and he swatted away anything near his mouth, cried, and was a very unhappy guy.  We’re on the other side of it now and he’s happy to drink and eat again.  Which means he is in a much better mood. His eating is getting better and better.  He is eating a good mix of chunky purees and some solids finally.  Today, for example, he has eaten vanilla yogurt with applesauce, a few pretzels, a turkey vegetable chunky baby food, bread with jelly, grapes cut into small pieces, macaroni noodles with spaghetti sauce, and I know there was something else in there I’m forgetting.  It was his first time actually eating noodles instead of spitting them out.  He’s back to playing and enjoying life.  He also decided it was time to get a new tooth and it is just barely peeking out of the gums.  That makes 7 teeth at 15 months old.  My slowest teether ever.  Mason has discovered the joy of books.  One day he was absolutely fascinated with this board book - called The Baby Animals’ Party.  I had been reading it to Caleb one afternoon.  Mason decided that this bunny rabbit was his favorite animal in the book and every time I tried turning the page he would turn it back to this one.

It is a good thing he is so cute because we’re still struggling with sleep issues.  Several nights in the last three weeks he’s woken up more than 3 times unhappy and stayed awake and upset for between 1-3 hours each time.  I am working my way back through my No Cry Sleep books looking for any ideas we can adapt for Mason.  I know that eventually he will sleep better, all of mine have gotten there.  He is just the first child with special needs that complicate the process.  When I can’t let him fuss in his crib at all without his body pooping/peeing, which leads to serious skin breakdown with his sensitive skin, it takes a lot more work to get him to sleep. 

Ah well, such is life!  He’s worth every minute of it!